Book picks similar to
Tracy's Mess by Elise Peterson


picture-books
fiction
kids-books
picture-book

Snow Dance


Lezlie Evans - 1997
    As the flakes begin to fall, their wish comes true and the two cavort in the freshly fallen snow. When they are all tired out they return home to warm up by the fire with hot cocoa. Lively, bright watercolors capture the exuberance and enchantment children experience at the first snowfall. The author-illustrator team of Rain Song brings us yet another perfect read-aloud for any weather.

Arthur's Valentine


Marc Brown - 1980
    Could it be Fern, or maybe even Sue Ellen? Or is it just Buster playing pranks? Will Arthur solve the mystery, or will he be left holding a broken heart?

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree


Robert E. Barry - 1963
    Christmas is here and Mr. Willowby's tree has arrived. There's just one big problem: The tree is too tall for his parlor. He cuts off the top so it will fit, and soon the top of that tree is passed along again and again to bring holiday cheer to all the animals in the forest.Kids will love watching the tree move from home to home, and families will appreciate the subtle message of conservation and recycling, as the tree top spreads joy to so many of the forest dwellers.This heartwarming story is the perfect way to start your yuletide season, and a warm addition to your family's festive holiday traditions.

I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way


Thad Krasnesky - 2009
    When Emmy spills juice and her dad’s pants get "orange-hosed,” she takes refuge behind Mom’s knee. Expecting a reprimand, Emmy is surprised when Mom tells Dad, "Now, sweetheart, you should let it be. After all . . . she’s only three.” Once Emmy discovers that she’s too young to be punished, she constantly wrangles her way out of trouble by proclaiming, "I’m only three!” and pulls a handy weapon from her arsenal of manipulative maneuvers. With hilarious, rhyming text and energetic ink and watercolor illustrations that capture Emmy’s expressions, from angelic to livid, readers discover that Emmy can’t get away with her outrageous behavior forever and that her actions do eventually have consequences.

Baby's Got the Blues


Carol Diggory Shields - 2014
    Like floating down easy street. . . . But wait one guitar-pickin’ minute. That’s a lie! Babies can’t talk, can’t walk, can’t even really chew. It’s enough to make the baby in this story blue, blue, blue. So get ready for a sad tale of soggy diapers, mushy meals, and sleepin’ behind bars that may make you cry, too — but more likely will make you giggle! Jamming with illustrator Lauren Tobia, Carol Diggory Shields gives a tip of the fedora to B.B. King in an ode to babyhood that’ll have readers feeling anything but blue.

Feathers for Lunch


Lois Ehlert - 1990
    Includes bird guide. “Destined to become an uncontested favorite with many children and adults.”--The Horn Book

The Lady with the Alligator Purse


Nadine Bernard Westcott - 1988
    These outrageous rhymes will appeal to reluctant readers, eager readers, silly readers, and the whole family together!

The Secret Birthday Message


Eric Carle - 1972
    A message in code starts Tim off on an exciting treasure hunt through a dark cave, an underground tunnel, and other strange places until at the end he finds a happy surprise.

The Ravenous Beast


Niamh Sharkey - 2003
    Gobble it up! Swallow it down! But all the other animals are claiming that they're the hungriest of all. What can the Ravenous Beast do to prove them wrong? Niamh Sharkey's droll, strikingly stylized illustrations lend a fanciful flair to this comical tale of beastly competition - and insatiable appetite.

Miss Rumphius


Barbara Cooney - 1982
    The countless lupines that bloom along the coast of Maine are the legacy of the real Miss Rumphius, the Lupine Lady, who scattered lupine seeds everywhere she went. Miss Rumphius received the American Book Award in the year of publication.To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of two-time Caldecott winner Barbara Cooney's best-loved book, the illustrations have been reoriginated, going back to the original art to ensure state-of-the-art reproduction of Cooney's exquisite artwork. The art for Miss Rumphius has a permanent home in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art.

How to Babysit a Grandpa


Jean Reagan - 2012
    series -- about a child spending time with his grandpa. Written in a how-to style, the narrator gives important tips for "babysitting" a grandpa, including what to eat for snack (anything dipped in ketchup, ice cream topped with cookies, cookies topped with ice cream), what to do on a walk (find lizards and dandelion puffs, be on the lookout for puddles and sprinklers), and how to play with a grandpa (build a pirate cave, put on a scary play). Filled with humor, energy, and warmth, this is a great gift for or from a grandparent, and perfect for lap reading when Grandpa comes to visit!

Larf


Ashley Spires - 2012
    Larf, you see, is a sasquatch, the only sasquatch in the world (or so it seems). He has a very pleasant, and very private, life in the woods, where on any given day he might be found jogging, gardening or walking Eric, his pet bunny. But everything changes one morning when Larf discovers that another sasquatch is scheduled to make an appearance in the nearby city of Hunderfitz. What?! That must mean he's not the only sasquatch in the world! Excited by the prospect of having a friend to share hair grooming tips with (and let's face it, teeter-tottering alone is no fun), Larf disguises himself as a city slicker and heads for Hunderfitz --- where he's in for a couple enormous surprises. Ashley Spires once again shows her chops for creating irresistible, quirky characters and laugh-aloud stories and illustrations. Readers with little feet and big feet will fall head over heels for Larf.

The Greedy Python


Richard Buckley - 1985
    Full-color illustrations.

Before Morning


Joyce Sidman - 2015
    In a spare text that reads as pure song and illustrations of astonishingly beautiful scratchboard art, Sidman and Krommes remind us that sometimes, if spoken from the heart, wishes really can come true.

Never Tease a Weasel


Jean Conder Soule - 1964
    Long out of print, this new edition of Never Tease a Weasel with art by the great New Yorker cartoonist George Booth will surely please a weasel, and everyone else who reads it!